Free Choice Viewing: It Follows

It Follows immediately captivates the viewer with an eerily paced pan and advance of a girl scantily clad and terrified. While it adheres to classic horror film techniques, it also transcends the genre with a refreshing take on a universal fear: being followed. By far the strongest elements of the film were seen in the art direction and cinematography. I was constantly struck by each shot and frame, which exhumed detailed and incredibly palatable tones throughout the film. Specifically, in the beginning of the film I was struck by the lighting contrast in one shot of the initial victim sitting on the beach. The direction and framingexhibited a deep sense of vulnerability and paranoia, so I chose to adapt this frame into an art piece.The musical score sometimes felt overpowering and out of sync with the emotional moods of certain scenes. Yet in other parts, the jarring music boosted certain climax scenes to a point of utter terror. I often found the music either perfectly in tune with the action, or noticeably amiss.

While the film’s technique was close to immaculate, the general plot line at times seemed to drag. This was mainly due to desensitized and under expressive acting.. The actors seemed to adhere to overly vague demeanors which matched the new age coldness of the film, but at the cost of slowing the pace down to the point where certain scenes felt more like a series of well designed and palatable images, rather than a thrilling story line.

Although, it missed some clear marks, I applaud It Follows for its creative ventures. The film as a whole pioneered a new vision of the horror genre that transcends and takes risks beyond typical blockbuster blood baths.